Pokemon: Skies Over Hoenn
by sam4books
Summary: It has been ten years since Rayquaza had quelled the battle between the gods of the land and sea. The people of Hoenn have yet to fully recover from the event, the weather still behaving rather abnormally. For the most part, people have adapted. Yet many people secretly wish for a life free of natural disasters. One day, a mysterious floating castle appears, proposing a challenge.
1. Chapter 1: Avast Ye Trainer

An afternoon wind blew against the waters of Route 124, carrying with it waves filled with Tentacruel and Magikarp. The effect was calming, gently rocking the ship that rode the waves, and the trainers that resided inside. The familiar smell of a new adventure was in the air, along with the smell of change that came with it.

The SS. Tidal was well known to be Hoenn's link to the other regions. Crafted by the legendary Captain Stern himself, she was a perfect place for trainers from many different parts of the world to train and trade with each other. In many ways she was like her sister cruise ship, the SS. Aqua, but that ship had been out of commission for years now, and it was assumed that the old sailor who captained the ship was long retired. Many trainers from Kanto had claimed they knew him well. Aaron was a Kanto native himself, and he had never met the man. Although he had met his old friend the Lieutenant countless times, including the very day he had earned the Lightning Badge. It was one of the many memories he cherished from his time in Kanto as a rookie trainer. He had grown much since, and was champion of both Johto and Kanto for a time. After three years he had served as such, until a young trainer wrestled the title from him, and he was invited to Hoenn along with plenty of other veteran trainers so he could witness the grand opening of a new championship.

"_Good afternoon trainers"_, a voice announced over the ship's intercom, _"This is your captain speaking. We will be arriving in Lilycove City shortly. For those in need of a place to stay, why not stay at our famous Lilycove Motel? Rated four out of five stars for excellent service and a wonderful view of the beach. We would also wish to remind you that daily contests are hold in the contest hall for your entertainment. So why not stop by for a lavishing display of our native Pokemon? We hope you enjoy your stay in Hoenn, and thank you for sailing with us."_

Aaron groaned, he was still laying down in his bed, just about ready to rest until the ship's arrival. It appeared as though they were going to dock sooner than he would have liked. He had spent much of last night mingling with other trainers thanks to a party thrown by the ship's employees. He had met a number of strong trainers, but many of them seemed more interested in achieving a new title rather than the chance to discover something new. Aaron wasn't like them; he wanted to travel the world, he wanted to explore new lands. Now that he was free of the title of "champion", he finally had the chance to do just that.

Aaron climbed out of bed and quickly got dressed in his blue zip-up jacket and matching knit hat. No matter where he went he tended to dress warmly, even though he wasn't from a snowy area. Inside his jacket he kept his precious friends; a Blastoise nicknamed Tidus, an Alakazam he had gotten from a trade, a Jolteon he had evolved from an Eevee, a Fearow nicknamed Pegs, an Aipom from his days in Johto, and finally his dear Crobat Vox. He loved each of them dearly, and he knew they felt the same. After putting on his pair of black gloves, Aaron exited the confines of his cabin into the crowded hallways of the ship.

"We have a new adventure ahead of us, my friends" he said to no one in particular, "I hear that this is going to be a big one."

The people standing in the halls were busy talking about the rumored floating castle. in Hoenn. It was said that the Weather Institute as well as the Mossdeep Space Center had a hand in its development. The technology required to create such a feat was unheard of ten years ago, yet a mysterious donar had supplied the Space Center with the means of creating the flying attraction, and now that impossible feat was a reality.

"I hear a family of collectors were involved in its construction. They're all filthy stinkin' rich."

"I heard it was a scientist, who was searching for ways to test the strength of Pokemon."

"I think I met that scientist, come to think of it."

"Hey I did too!"

"You guys are all wrong, it was a nobleman from Kalos. Why else would they build a floating _castle_."

"I'm telling you, he was a collector. Collectors can live in castles."

"Of course, you would think that."

"How do we even know this person was a 'he'?"

Everyone had their own ideas regarding the identity of the mysterious donar. Aaron himself agreed that the man (or woman) involved had to be very rich. Creating something so large that flies was no easy achievement after all.

Aaron made his way through the gossiping crowds towards the exit to the deck. It was docking time, which meant that the sailors one usually ran into on deck were elsewhere, preparing the ship for when she docked. That meant Aaron wouldn't have to worry about being challenged to a battle, since many trainers he found were restless while traveling. He couldn't blame them, as the anticipation is often too heavy for most trainers to bear. He knew the effects of having an apetite for adventure only too well.

The wind truly was pleasant this day, he was glad. He knew his Pokemon would appreciate being out and about. "Well guys, let's greet this new land together!" After throwing his Pokeballs in the air, there was a flash of light, followed by the sounds of excited and happy Pokemon. They all smiled at him, and Aaron beamed in return. "Turn around you guys, Hoenn's just ahead!"

They went to the edge of the deck together, to look over the railings at the approaching city in the distance, breathing in the sea air. It was a glorious sight to behold; Aaron could see the large building that was the department store towering proudly over the quiet houses of the city's denizens, as well as the esteemed marble museum which housed plenty of ancient arefacts as well as artwork. "What do you guys say? Should we visit the museum first, or go shopping?"

"I think a shopping spree would be great!" responded a voice from behind him, surprising both him and his Pokemon. His Crobat and Blastoise were among the first to jump in front of him protectively, the rest of his Pokemon taking turns glaring at the intruder, which turned out to only be a girl a couple years younger than he was with tanned skin and wild dark hair that was bound in a makeshift ponytail. She blinked in response, tilting her head out of confusion. "Uhhhh, are your Pokemon okay?"

Aaron placed one hand on both his Blastoise and Crobat, calming them down and allowing the other Pokemon to follow suit. "Sorry about that" he apologized, surprised to find that the girl was out here on deck when she could be discussing the mysterious floating castle with the rest of the trainers. "They don't like surprises." He laughed, and so did the girl, the situation felt very awkward yet somehow Aaron was glad to have a friend that wasn't a Pokemon with him on the deck. "So where are you from?" asked the girl.

The former champion shrugged, "Originally I was born in Pewter City, in the Kanto Region. I have traveled through the region of Johto as well, and I'm looking to explore all of Hoenn too, if possible."

The girl beamed, "I'm from Kanto too!" she said, clearly happy to find someone from the same region as her. "Although I grew up in Fuchsia City myself." The girl pulled out a group of four Pokeballs, and released an assortment of Poison Pokemon onto the floor of the deck; a Nidoqueen, a Venomoth, a Tentacruel, and finally a Muk. "As you can see, I have trained underneath the Master of Ninjas himself! Well, his daughter at least. I saw that you had a Crobat and I just had to talk to you! My name is Olea by the way!"

The girl's enthusiasm made Aaron smirk a little. He had to say he was impressed, not many trainers chose to stick with one particular type of Pokemon, instead preferring to branch out in order to have the upper hand. Training a single type of Pokemon took great skill. "It's a pleasure to meet you Olea. My name is Aaron, and the Crobat you refer to is named Vox." As if on queue, the Crobat gave a happy little screech, circling the girl on the basis that her master had put his trust in the poison type trainer. "She really likes you", he chuckled.

"Aaron?" she repeated looking up at him in surprise. "The Aaron?"

"You've heard of me", the former champion frowned, he had hoped she wouldn't recognize him. Although he supposed it was to be expected, given her background.

"Of course I have! You're the champion! Well, you were the champion..." Aaron grimaced, finding that the topic was about to head down a road he didn't want to go on. He didn't mind his recent loss, but he found that many people tend to bring it up as if it was some sort of disappointment. The new champion was strong, if not stronger than he or Lance ever was. He knew Lance would be just as proud as he was to leave Kanto and Johto in his more than capable hands.

* * *

Olea giggled, enjoying the attention given to her by the other trainer's Crobat. It never made sense to her the stigma surrounding Zubats. She herself never found their presence in caves annoying. In fact, she found their presence to be a comfort in the darkness, in the knowledge that she was never alone. She danced with the Crobat, inviting her Pokemon to join in and make some new friends. Seeing her Pokemon getting along with the other trainer's Pokemon improved her new found admiration for this trainer. He clearly took good care of his Pokemon, especially since they were so willing to protect him without being ordered to. She wanted to have a similar relationship with her Pokemon.

"So what brings you on this ship?" the question caught her off guard, coming from the trainer she had only just met. "I suppose I wanted to meet new Poison types" she mused, "And I heard there was a really cute Pokemon that could be found in Hoenn. I wanted to find it and see for myself, when I heard about the floating castle, I convinced the Gym Leader to let me come so long as I could confirm a few things for her..." She fidgeted nervously underneath his questioning gaze. "Sorry, I can't say much more than that."

Much to her great relief, the older boy nodded in understanding, "That's alright" he said "I think discovering new Pokemon should be reason enough to go to a new land." She beamed happily, only to have her smile melt away into a frown. The truth was, Koga's daughter had heard rumors pertaining to the castle in the sky from fellow gym leaders, of an entirely separate Pokemon League. Other trainers seemed to be aware of it too, as if the castle were to be a region upon itself. She wondered if the other trainer knew. She didn't have the courage to ask him whether he did or not. It wasn't as widely discussed as the other theories after all.

"Is something the matter?"

Olea nearly jumped out of her shoes. "Nope! Everything's fine!" The older boy was giving her one of those looks that made him seem as if he was suspecting her of something. That was no good of course, so Olea tried changing the subject, "What about you though?" The boy tilted his head, looking curious. "Why are you on this ship?"

There was a moment of silence between them, one that seemed to last longer than Olea would have liked. She initially thought the other boy was upset with her, perhaps even expected him to yell at her. Yet all he did was smile, as if he was waiting for her to ask that question. His answer was honest, and as genuine as they came. "I wish to know everything there is to know about the world."

* * *

_"Attention trainers, this is your Captain speaking! Please be prepared to exit the ship, as we have nearly arrived at the docks. Once again, I would like to thank you for making use of our services, and wish you safe travels in the Hoenn Region. Happy training!"_

Something inside of Aaron felt almost too happy to hear that announcement. He found that the conversation he was having with the girl was turning down an all too awkward route. As much as he liked talking to the girl, he felt that he couldn't bear her presence any longer. He didn't expect to find a Gym Trainer on the ship, usually Gym Leaders kept their trainers within the confines of their town or city, unless they were running some sort of errand. Perhaps this meant that there was more to that floating castle than meets the eye, but Aaron didn't want a younger girl telling him that. He decided that he would let her go her own way for now, and try and get to the bottom of this new mystery.

"Well, it was nice talking to you." The girl had a look of disappointment on her face when he said that, which was to be expected. They only just met after all. Without as much as another word, Aaron silently walked past her, with his Pokemon following suit after a moment's hesitation. His Crobat in particular didn't want to go just yet. She turned toward Olea one last time, giving her an apologetic look. The girl smiled encouragingly, and Vox flew after her trainer. Aaron may not have realized it, but he had unintentionally created a bond between Vox and the girl Olea, a bond that would bring them together again soon enough.


	2. Chapter 2: Arrival in Hoenn

**Author's Note: Thanks a bunch for the review! I really appreciate constructive criticism, especially since I am a bit overly self aware. A lot of what you mentioned are writing errors on my part (for that I humbly apologize), since this is my very first fanfic.**

**Some things, such as Aaron's sudden discomfort is totally intentional and I'm glad you took notice!**

**I decided to edit the first chapter accordingly, as well as add in a couple much needed reactions. I hope things are clearer now.**

* * *

The SS. Tidal had finally arrived at her destination, a bustling city of energy filled with plenty of attractions for the tourist to enjoy. From its Grand Contest Hall, to its high quality department store, to it's sophisticated museum. There was something for everyone in that quaint little town. Tour guides stood at read by the docking bay, ready to give the arriving trainers a tour to remember. A number vendors from the department store had opened stales for the latest berry juice and poffin recipes. One of the stalls had a poffin mixing machine which trainers were free to use so long they had a partner along with them. A group of poffin mixers were in heated competition, showing off for the esteemed newcomers.

Aaron decided to take the time to stop by and observe the Poffin Mixers in their natural environment. One of them in particular seemed to be drawing in a crowd. He had nearly expected to find the Gym Trainer here, but she was nowhere to be found. 'She's probably shopping, she did say she wanted to go on a shopping spree'.

He still felt a bit bitter, none of the Pokemon League's gyms had taken kindly to him becoming the Champion. Only Lieutenant Surge, Erica and Brock had vouched for him. He wasn't too sure about the others. Blaire did his own thing, and most of the others didn't seem to care much about anything. Except Sabrina, she certainly cared too much. Koga was just hard to deal with, along with his stubborn daughter. Unlike all the other challengers of Kanto, they seemed to view him in the worse of light for whatever reason. Now one of them sent a girl here. Janine... of course Janine would want to be the first to discover the mystery of the floating castle. Aaron had only met her once, when she was still training underneath her father's watchful eye. She seemed to be more daring than her fellows, almost too daring. Lance had warned him about her, when he had visited him after his ascension to the title of champion.

It didn't matter in the long run, whatever the League's members did. He wasn't a member of the League anymore, and he was glad. It was a corrupt institution, with no one wishing to do their duty to protect their regions from outside threats. A young hero would always be the one to do the job for them, someone who was always much younger than everyone else. As a result, many people would forget about older trainers. Those who have just entered their teenage years were expected to become adults and contribute to society just like everyone else. Any thoughts of being a hero at his age were considered to be a fool's dream.

He sighed, as an eccentric looking boy that looked nearly the same age as him produced a pink poffin with white icing. The boy held it up for the crowd to see, decorating it with the likeness of a Gracidea. Next to him stood a Smeargle at attention, proudly displaying his green tipped tail as if to announce to the world that yes, he and his trainer were indeed artists. The boy was good to be sure, as the crowd certainly seemed to think so. A round of applause was given, when a Munchlax taste tested his poffin, determining that it was more than good enough to satisfy the Pokemon's bottomless stomach.

Aaron wished he had that boy's confidence.

"Now! Who will be the brave one to challenge me to a Poffin mixing duel? I assure you, there is nothing to fear!"

The former champion shied away from the crowd, deciding now was the time to ditch the scene.

"How about you?"

Aaron winced, "No thanks, I'm no poffin mixer." He didn't like the encouraging smile the boy gave him, neither did he like the stares of the gathered crowd. 'Please pick someone else' he thought. He decided the department store looked like a really great tourist trap at the moment.

The boy frowned, "Everyone's a poffin mixer. Now come, let me show you the basics okay? At least give it a try?"

The former champion considered the hopeful gaze, that welcoming expression. Truth was, he never really considered poffins to be his thing. He always assumed that was something only coordinators had to worry about. This guy was most definitely a coordinator. He started to walk away, ignoring the words of the disappointed crowd. He suddenly felt like maybe he shouldn't have come. There was no sign of any flying castle anywhere, let alone anyone who really knows anything useful about the rumored attraction. A tall marble building caught his eye, 'I suppose it couldn't hurt.'

"I can give you a grand tour if you win."

The poffin mixer was still speaking to him, Aaron realized, and he was giving him one of those knowing smiles. Aaron frowned at him, which only served to make that grin widen. He had to admit, he wanted to see the ancient tablet he had read about in the Hoenn guide book. Having a tour guide would be nice. Aaron smiled back, "I want to know where I can find the supposed floating castle of Hoenn. If you can tell me that and give me a tour, then I will challenge you."

One of the onlookers spoke up before the boy could respond, "Actually son..." There was a pause, and the man pulled out a read newspaper for Aaron to see. "You just missed it." Unfortunately, what the man said was true. The newspaper was a few days old, and had the picture of a tall and beautiful castle plastered on the front. Upon closer inspection the cage that was stacked at the top of the tallest tower contained a giant pokemon, which looked as though it could light up the dead of the night. It had a neo-gothic style to its architecture, with flying buttresses lining up along the sides connected to tall spires made of the purest of marble. He couldn't make out the stained glass imagery on the windows, but if he had to guess they would be of some sort of Pokemon. There was a large appreciation for the natural world present in the castle, he could make out vines that were carved into the designs on the outside, especially around the tips of the spires. All it was missing was some sort of extravagant garden, and it would be a romantical paradise. He wondered just who had the kind of money to afford all this.

"It stops at every city for up to four days, before taking off again. It has an elevator that can take people up you see, but only certain people."

"I hear that you have to be invited in order to enter the castle" added another random stranger. More of the crowd gathered to voice their opinions and concerned, making Aaron realize just how much not even the people of Hoenn knew about the mysterious castle. No doubt everyone thought about the last time something similar happened, and just how horrific that turned out to be. He wanted to tell them that everything was going to be fine, wanted to be of some sort of assurance. Yet he himself didn't know what good he could do. Truthfully he still longed to be on that fabled castle, that was one thing that wouldn't change. He still had to wonder; that is, what if there was a reason to fear?

Aaron quickly pushed those thoughts out of his mind. He came here looking for adventure, not to run away from it. While he understood the crowds' concerns, he was still the former champion. If anyone was going to conquer this new challenge it was going to be him...only him.

"Say son, you look familiar" the old man who gave him him the newspaper in the first place noted, eying him rather strangely. Aaron stiffened under his gaze, which slpwly turned to hopeful wonder. The same sort of wonder that the poffin mixer gave him only moments before. "Does this mean that the League is finally going to get involved in this mystery?"

The entirety of the crowd looked at him in anticipation, the same questioning gaze on every face. The pit of bitterness once again reared its ugly head in Aaron's stomach, because he knew that this was perhaps the reason he met that Gym Trainer on the ship. She probably wasn't the only one, now that he thought about it. If anything the Dragon Trainer Clan would definitely want to send someone to investigate the castle as well. He looked from one denizen to the other, wondering just how he should respond. He wasn't the champion anymore, so he had no idea. The question was, did they know that? If they did, did they understand the implications? The Hoenn League and the Indigo Leagues were two separate institutions. Not even he knew who was currently the Hoenn Champion. The old man who had asked the question in the first place, seemed to understand this at last. With a nod, he told the younger boy "It's fine if you don't know son. We don't get much news from your parts." One by one the anticipation disappeared from the crowd's faces, as they too realized the harsh truth of the darkness. The only one who didn't look the least bit depressed, was not surprisingly the poffin mixer.

"I still have a tour to give you know" he said, holding up a finger in a scolding way.

Aaron smiled weakly, he suppose he couldn't back out now. "Do you still want me to try mixing poffins too?"

"Actually, I have something better in mind!"


	3. Chapter 3: Overcast

"How long is this supposed to take?"

Aaron was sitting on a stool in a dusty room with a colorful array of paintings and artistic mediums all over the place. Not one wall was left bare, or one table left unused. A ray of light shined onto Aaron's face from an open window, from which one would be able to see the city of Lilycove in all its glory, or feel the ocean breeze. The former champion watched as specks of dust danced in his line of sight, wondering just how old this museum really was. When his eyes drifted to the right he could spot another light stood behind the boy, serving as a light source for the painting he was so immersed in. Aaron tried glancing at him out of the corner of his eye, but quickly looked away from the sight of the boy's intense stare.

The boy had made him sit up on the stool, his face looking towards the direction of the window, posed in a dignified manner. "You're the former champion, so act like you've got hope for the future as well as the burden of a deep and dark past."

Aaron had shrugged when he was given the suggestion, "Shouldn't be too hard. Being champion is burden enough." They both laughed at his dark humor, in spite of the nervous pit in Aaron's stomach. It had been at least an hour since then, and the boy was still going at it. Aaron had no idea how much of the painting was finished, nor how much was left an empty tint of white. Every now and then he was allowed to take a small break so he could stretch and walk around. Halfway through the session, an older girl came in with a platter of reception food for them to eat.

"She works under my grandfather" the boy explained, when Aaron asked him about her during one of his breaks. "She's training to be the next curator of this museum."

As it turned out, the boy's name was Ezekiel, and he was the grandson of the museum's current curator. "My grandfather taught me to paint", Ezekiel admitted shyly. "My parents want me to become coordinators, like them, so they taught me to mix poffins. To tell you the truth, I'd rather mix poffins than train pokemon to perform for a lousy ribbon."

Aaron had raised an eyebrow at this. When he first saw Ezekiel at the harbor he was almost certain he was a coordinator. "So what is it that you want to do with your life?"

The young poffin mixer laughed, "That's my secret." Aaron found the young man's lack of clarity a tad bit agitating. He didn't understand why the boy had even bothered owning a Pokemon, if he had no wish to train it.

At the moment, the boy's Smeargle was inside his pokeball, alongside Aaron's own Pokemon. In the beginning, Ezekiel had wanted to have Aaron hold them all on a belt in his right hand, as if to make a statement about his power and commitment. Yet, the idea was eventually scrapped on the grounds that it was "too much work."

"...Not to mention confusing. Plus I'm sure there will be some freaks out there who might just assume you to be a Pokemon Collector or something."

Regardless of the pain he had to endure being stuck in one pose for every fifteen minutes, Aaron was truly thankful he wasn't expected to carry anything. In Ezekiel's defense, he was incredibly supportive of Aaron's sad performance as an artist's model. There were some moments when Aaron caught him giving an "okay" sign, letting the former champion know that he had nothing to worry about.

During another one of their breaks, Aaron brought up the topic of modeling, and what prior experience Ezekiel had with portraits. "I've had a lot of good models", Ezekiel stated casually, "as well as plenty of terrible ones. You're actually not that bad. Well, you're still a bit stiff, but that's easily reprimanded. There was this one girl I had model for me, and she was _gorgeous, _but her Nosepass was much more relaxed than she was."

Aaron had to admit, he was warming up to the boy, who did whatever he could to make him feel comfortable. "Most people are intimidated by the thought of modeling for an artist", Ezekiel had went on to explain. "A lot of people fear being taken advantage of, which is why most artists tend to shy away from painting portraits of humans."

"You mean, a lot of artists-"

"They tend to stick to painting Pokemon, yes. That's why you see a lot more Pokemon themed paintings. There is a lot more trust involved between both parties. Modeling takes courage, and you have plenty of it my friend." The boy smiled an encouraging smile, which made the nervous pit in Aaron's stomach disappear. He wasn't sure how, but the other boy managed to make him forget about all his faults.

Another hour had come and went, until Ezekiel had announced he was finally finished. Aaron was borderline exhausted from all the sitting around, and thankful that he was able to stop for the day. He looked up and smiled at the beaming young artist, who looked like a mess himself. His hands, arms, and face were covered with paint, and smelt of liquid oil. It almost gave him the same appearance as his Smeargle, almost.

After they both washed up, Aaron was told told how he would not see the finished portrait until the next day. He didn't mind personally, since the fact the artist was even doing this free of charge was impressive enough. Aaron wasn't too sure how he would deal with a portrait of himself being on display, but he felt thankful for the artist's efforts. He knew he didn't have to do this, especially since he was no longer champion. The boy probably had a ton of commissions already.

It almost made him feel guilty. He had thought of the girl he met on the ship entered his mind, and how he had stood her up. She was probably still mad at him, Aaron certainly wouldn't blame her. He was a shitty person, and he definitely didn't deserve the artist's gift.

"I suppose we'll see each other tomorrow then?" the artist had asked him, before he set out for the motel. The question made Aaron uneasy, since he didn't want to make any promises to Ezekiel. His response was neutral, and lacked dedication, "Sure." It got the point across. Aaron wasn't sure himself, whether he would make it or not. He had to leave early tomorrow if he wanted to get to the next city in time to catch the infamous floating castle. As much as Aaron would love to grant the artist a visit, he wondered if his heart would be in the right place.

'I suppose I'll find out tomorrow', Aaron thought, as he made his way down the long stairway that lead to the museum, with Ezekiel no doubt waving goodbye from afar. The former champion knew that the artist would probably understand if he didn't come, but he wasn't so certain how that Gym Trainer had felt about him. In fact, he wasn't certain how he felt about her. He looked over towards the department store in wonder, before refocusing on his destination. It was a stretch, to think that she would still be out shopping at this hour. Perhaps he would find her at the motel, maybe even in her room. If he ran into her, he would ask for forgiveness. Otherwise, Aaron had no idea what to expect from another encounter. 'She snuck up on you' he reminded himself.

Up above the former champion's head, the sky was growing darker, much earlier than usual, as clouds began to hover ever so closely together. The resulting shades of grey with yellow patches gave an ominous appearance. Aaron would say that it was the universe scolding him if he had noticed. It didn't appear as though many of the townspeople had noticed either. The sky had done this sort of thing before after all...

* * *

"It looks like it's going to be a big one huh dearie" an old woman took note, staring at the sky as she walked along a young girl with tanned skin and a makeshift ponytail. The girl didn't seem to hear the old lady, on account of the two bags filled to the brim with groceries she was carrying. She didn't need to answer, as the old woman continued, "Yes it's going to be big indeed."

Olea groaned, appalled that a nice looking old lady could have so much money to spend. When she had offered to help the elder with her shopping she merely had a quarter of what Olea was carrying in her bag. "Lady, I really have no idea what you're talking about." Olea looked down at the frail old woman beside her, who had to walk with a cane, making the trip back from the department store excruciatingly long. She had hoped that she could have regrouped with the former Indigo League Champion by now, but odds are he would have a room booked.

The old lady took no notice of the grimace plastered on Olea's face. Her attention remained on the changing skies, frightened and concerned. "We must hurry dear, before it begins."

The sky had turned overcast, with clouds looming in an ever threatening manner. From the east, a flock of Pelippers and Wingulls could be seen. There were some Taillows circling about over the city as well. The Pokemon had grown oddly quiet, in fact the entire city was silent now that Olea thought about it. 'Strange, the weather was fine all day.' Olea was positive that there wasn't any mention of a storm in the weather reports either. The old lady beside her gave her an odd look, "Dearie you should go find a place to stay for the evening. I can carry my bags the rest of the way."

"Huh?" Olea wasn't sure how to respond. She had offered to do the lady an act of kindness, and had expected to be the one carrying the bags the entire way through.

The old woman smiled, and grabbed her bags before the Gym Trainer could object. "Please dearie, go find shelter." Olea frowned, what was going on? This lady was acting as if the world was about to end. In fact, the entire city was behaving as if it was doomsday. All around her people were rushing to get home, and shops were closing up early. What was wrong with this town?

"Hey! Lady!"

It was too late, the old lady had already left her, and soon so did all the other pedestrians scampering about like scared Rattatas. Olea gazed in dismay at what was occurring around her, confused and frightened. Eventually she had no choice but to go find a room for he night like the old lady had suggested. The wind had grown strong, no longer the pleasant sea breeze it was before. Throughout the entire journey to the motel, Olea was threatened to be carried off by the wind, which proved to be a formible foe.

Inside the motel, a congregation of foreign trainers stood amongst themselves, speaking in hushed tones. Many of them had their Pokemon out, and were seeking to provide comfort for the frightened creatures. Olea decided to do the same.

"It's strange, isn't it? There was no mention of a storm in the papers" she heard a trainer say as she petted her Venomoth. It took her a while to register that the trainer was talking to her. "Uh, yeah. Weird." She looked over at two other trainers who were locked in conversation. One of them nodded at her, and she nodded back. A lot of the trainers appeared to want to socialize just to take their minds off of the strangeness that was outside. Olea wasn't sure whether she wanted to join them. There was no hint that the former champion was among them for one thing. In any case, Olea figured she would just end up being a bother.

She edged past the energetic gathering, avoiding anyone who might think she had any answers to the questions they all seemed to share. Neither of them appeared to know what was going on. Some of them had voiced their desires to go back to their appropriate region. Olea didn't blame them, she had thought about it herself. The lady at the counter paid no heed to her questions about the strange weather. "It's normal", she was told. That was a lie, of course, but the lady didn't seem to care. There was a hint of grave acceptance in that voice. Perhaps, it would be pushing it to expect the denizens of Lilycove to question what cannot be changed.

Saddened, Olea took her keys to her room, her Venomoth humming into her ear. She had thought she would see Aaron, but he didn't seem to have stopped at the motel yet. The lady at the counter hadn't seen him either. Wherever he was, she hoped he was safe.


	4. Chapter 4: It's A Blizzard!

It was snowing.

Or, at least, that's how it felt to Aaron. The wind complicated matters, however every now and then something cold and icy would land on his cheek. Afterwards, whatever it was that landed on him would melt into a frosty watery liquid until another chunk of ice took its place. Slowly but surely, the environment became overtaken by the elements. More ice would get in his face, and indeed some got into his eyes. He was thankful he wore warm clothing that day. Who knew how he would deal with the clouded weather otherwise. He couldn't walk an inch without witnessing some sort of chill. Ahead, through the rapidly falling chunks of ice, he could still see lights.

That was his only hint that he was still inside a town.

Yes, it was snowing. It was snowing in the region of Hoenn, a region that was never known for its snowfalls.

Yet, this sort of thing had become normal within the last ten years. Certainly, the townspeople tolerated the strange severity of the weather. They weren't entirely sure what else to think of it. Ever since Kyogre and Groudon were set loose on the world yet again, the entire region of Hoenn had assumed that a change in the weather system was only a natural progression. There were some who had called the changes a sign from Arceus of their sins. It was perhaps no secret that how much the citizens of Hoenn enjoyed their tropical environment.

Then again, there were some who thought that there were ulterior reasons for the drastic change in the environment.

However, the only thing on Aaron's mind was the need to find shelter, and fast. The wind had quickly turned into the beginnings of a blizzard, and it was already difficult to see. Up ahead, all he could make out were the blurred lights and moving figures he assumed were townspeople moving about. Every now and then, one of them would pass him by and he could see the fear in their eyes. He tried to talk to them, ask them what was going on with the weather. No one had any time for small talk, they all just wanted to run away and hide. Aaron too had wanted to run.

To think, that earlier that day the sun was shining bright, and the ocean breeze was pleasant and warm. Hoenn was known for that kind of weather, it was what made it such a popular tourist spot. The fact that the weather could go through a complete u-turn within an hour, that was beyond terrifying. How could anyone blame the townspeople if they ran. It wouldn't surprise him if all of Hoenn wanted to run.

'It doesn't make sense why it's only here in Hoenn' he thought. The weather wasn't at all odd anywhere else. Although, there was that one recent snowstorm in Unova that made the news globally. 'That was Team Plasma', he reminded himself, 'This is different.'

While he was a League Champion, Aaron remembered receiving no news concerning Hoenn. He was under the impression that no one did. Poor Hoenn, no one could ever respect them to recover from nearly losing themselves to the forces of the land and the sea. By all accounts, many other regions had it easy, even Sinnoh with the threat of being eaten away by Giratina's wrath. By all accounts, the people of Sinnoh proved to be more than prepared for what might have happened. Yet in Hoenn, no one could ever imagine the consequences. The very thought, that perhaps the people of Hoenn were still experiencing the effects of Kyogre's and Groudon's powers, seemed more than possible.

Perhaps an even more shocking discovery, roused Aaron from his thoughts, as a speck of black danced in front of his eyes and landed on his shoulder. Another speck went by, and then another, until the air had turned from a dull shade of grey to a dark mist of ice. Curious by the black specks of ice, Aaron caught one on the tip of his tongue, before immediately spatting the offending speck out. It wasn't pure water, whatever it was. In fact, it tasted more like- "Ash! This is Ash!" He was too shocked to not say such an exclamation out loud, even though there was no one around to hear him. What bothered him most, was the direction this storm was coming from.

* * *

_"Mr. Steven Stone would like to remind the populace that the volcano on which Sootopolis is built is hollow and dormant and will not be erupting any time soon. While there was indeed an eruption between the cities of Mossdeep and Sootopolis during the hours of 1500 and 1600, we believe that it wasn't on a large enough scale to cause any permanent damage to the ecosystem."_

Olea sighed, feeling torn by the events that were occurring around her. She still hadn't seen or heard word of the former champion. For all she knew, he could had already disappeared to the next town over. She hoped that he was safe, wherever he was.

_"The snowstorm that is sweeping across the ocean appears to have finally hit the shores of Lilycove. Citizens are advised to keep indoors until the storm has passed. Similarly to the west, there have been reports of strong winds conjuring up miniature typhoons. Some of which have caused some damage to buildings in Rustboro City. President Stone of the Devon Corporation, ensures us that the Devon Corp. Building remains standing as tall as ever and will continue to do so. Dewford Town, however, is not so lucky. The head trendsetter of Dewford Hall has been reported missing as of 1714 hours, and a search party is currently in effect. If anyone can provide the location of a Mr. Babs, the town of Dewford will be forever grateful for your assistance."_

Lilycove wasn't the only town experiencing strange weather patterns. Olea turned off the radio, not wishing to hear any more concerning the events happening around Hoenn. She approached her sleeping Pokemon; her Venomoth who always looked so at peace, and her large and lovable Muk. She was glad she had them at least. Muk never really seemed to mind the elements, and her Venomoth always kept her warm. She didn't dare send out her Nidoqueen, who had quite the temper when things didn't appear to be in the Pokemon's favor. The Gym Trainer quietly nuzzed against the Venomoth, who would brush back affectionately every now and then. The Pokemon were just as fearful as she was, concerning the sudden change in weather. Out of all of them, Olea perhaps had the best relationship with her Venomoth, who understood her completely. "Oh what should I do Venny?" she asked, burying her face into the warm fur.

A knock came at her door, followed by the voice of a trainer, "Excuse me? Do you have a second?."

Olea didn't leave her Venomoth's side, which had shuddered at the intrusive voice. "Door's unlocked. You can come in." Olea shrunk into the fur of the moth Pokemon, shying away from the intruder. She really didn't want to speak with any trainer at the moment, but she was also curious.

"Bruce told me he saw you speaking with the former Indigo League Champion earlier."

The accusation sent chills down Olea's spine, who shuddered accordingly. "You saw us?"

"Everybody did." In spite of her words, the trainer did not appear to be malicious. The way she spoke had a soft and gentle edge to it, like a kind flower.

Olea poked her head from underneath her Venomoth's wings to stare in wonder at the intruder, who appeared to be so fragile. "Who is this Bruce?" she asked.

The girl who had entered her room smiled kindly, "He is our leader. And he wanted to know whether you were going to visit the floating castle." She fumbled with her hair as she said this, keeping her distance from Olea's Pokemon. "He thought that you could ask the former champion as well to come along, if he wanted."

Olea frowned, it was clear what this Bruce's intentions were. "Tell Bruce that he can ask the former champion himself!" The forcefulness in Olea's voice frightened the female trainer, but Olea didn't care. She was nobody's errand girl. The fact that people saw her talking with the former champion was enough to tell her not to trust these people. "And what about you? You don't want me to join your little group for any other reason do you?" Olea continued, looking at the trainer dead in the eye.

The poor girl squeaked in response. "I thought...well, I thought you looked sort of lonely." She gazed over at the walls, trying not to look back at the Gym Trainer. "I mean, that champion guy looked sort of mean, and I honestly don't want him in our group myself. That's all Bruce's idea; he wanted me to mention it, but I-" Before Olea could stop her the girl bowed the upper half of her body in apologetic respect. "I'm sorry!" She cried, closing her eyes tight so she could avoid staring at anything let alone the ground. Olea's Venomoth exchanged a worried look with her master, before she flew over to the nervous trainer and offered a comforting wing. The trainer only flinched, clenching her fists at her side and shaking her head. "Sorry." She said again, inching away from the Venomoth.

The girl was clearly afraid of Bug Pokemon. With a sigh, Olea returned her Venomoth, and walked up to the trainer herself. "It's fine, really. I would love to join you on this journey, but I'm not sure you guys have the right idea. Only those who are invited can get in. The most everyone else can do is watch the news for updates on its tournaments."

With a sniffle, the girl nodded. "Most of us were invited. Well, I wasn't, but Bruce was. He thinks that we can all sneak onto the castle together."

"What a stupid plan. Look, if I were you I'd just leave the guy. Go and do what you want to do. Hoenn's a great region, and there is plenty to see and explore here. He's going to get you all arrested, and I would very much like to talk to him right now, if you don't mind."

The girl nodded, and lead her down the motel's hallway back to the main entrance. From there she was led to a large room, furnished so that it was a place of warmth and comfort. Warm colored futons and sofas were placed here and there around glass coffee tables, and small magazine racks. Most of the magazines were Pokemon magazines meant to educate the reader on proper breeding techniques or the newest Pokemon products. There were also game tables and Poffin mixing machines, to be used at anyone's leisure. Near the machinery was a vending machine filled to the brim with bottles of soda, lemonade and water. It was a nice little lobby, a place of relaxation for trainers who stayed at the quaint motel. A congregation of trainers have gathered themselves by a large stone fireplace, decorated with flowers grown in nearby meadows.

At the center of the group, was a tanned boy trainer whose dark hair grew long and wild. He wore clothes that were made for warm tropical climates, which showed of his heavily muscled build and scars running up and down his arms. Around his head he wore a white headband with a blue symbol of a Pokeball on the front. Rather unimpressed by this Bruce guy already, Olea approached him trying to look as intimidating as possible. The trainer who had led her there backed off into the crowd, where a couple trainers already started questioning her about whether or not Olea was joining them.

"So." Olea started, glaring at the Black Belt. "You're the one in charge of this operation huh?"

Bruce regarded her with pride, believing that he was one step closer to victory with both her and, by extension, the former Indigo League Champion by his side. "Yup! Bruce is the leader of this infantry!"

_Infantry_? Olea, wasn't too sure whether this Bruce guy was serious. She certainly hoped he wasn't serious. "You aren't serious. Are you?"

Bruce only laughed, a big hearty laughed. It was the sort of laugh Olea heard from the sailors on the SS. Tidal while they were on break. This guy was definitely serious! "Bruce likes you, friend of the former Indigo League Champion!"

"Hold up, who said I was his friend?" Olea was pretty sure the former champion hated her, positive in fact. The other trainers didn't seem to buy her denial, as they began to beg her to put in a good word. "You guys are nuts! What, you really think the former champion of the Indigo League will want to help you guys? Even if he was my friend, which he isn't by the way, he'd be totally against this!"

"Bruce thinks that you have the wrong idea. This is an operation of justice! Bruce does not trust the floating castle in the sky, and Bruce's infantry agrees that there is evil afoot in the region of Hoenn!"

Olea rolled her eyes, the guy thinks he's some sort of hero. She wanted to scream, at all of them. How could anyone want to follow this guy? "You're mad! Whatever your little theories are, they aren't worth it. You'll all get arrested!"

Instead of Bruce bickering back, a Punk Trainer with hair the color of blue lightning spoke up, "Please. Lady, there ain't no way they'll even know where we're even there."

"He's right. We're going to be flying there." A Bird Tamer added, looking mighty proud of himself, and the Pokeballs he carried at his side.

Olea fumed, "_Don't you guys think anybody tried that before._" The question triggered some defensive responses, which in turn made Olea want to just leave. It was bad enough they were blindly following a guy who spoke in third person, but to actually believe they stood a chance against that flying fortress was ludicrous. The people who ran the show up there had made it clear you couldn't make it in without an invitation. Many had tried to get inside before, and all have failed. The idea that it would be any different with Bruce's infantry, it just didn't make sense.

"Excuse me!" the heads of all the trainers in the room, including Bruce and Olea, turned to face the entrance to the recreational room. A young man stood at the door, with an artist's profile in hand, looking quite out of breath. "I hate to interrupt, but have any of you seen Aaron anywhere?"

Now everyone was staring at Olea, who looked rather confused. Who was this guy, and how did he know Aaron. Everyone else was just as confused as she was, and curious as well. Olea tried to ignore the burning eyes that belonged to the Black Belt Bruce. "Why?" She demanded. "Has something happened to him?"

The young man only walked up to her, cradling his portfolio like a precious treasure. "There's a painting in here, that I drew of him. I was hoping he had already booked a room here before the storm blew in, and that one of you might give it to him for me."

The possibility that Aaron was still probably out there, out in the storm, hit Olea like a brick. Soon, it dawned on the rest of the room as well. Even Bruce had lost his grin, as he realized that his dream of having the former champion on his team was in jeopardy. "He's outside, in the snowstorm." Olea muttered to herself, her body beginning to feel like stone.

"I'm sorry?"

Olea pushed the young man out of her way, making a mad rush for the door, and ultimately the motel's exit. That boy she had met on the deck of the SS. Tidal was in trouble, and while he might not have liked her Olea just couldn't let him stay out in the blizzard and die. Bruce, who was still in a daze by the terrible circumstance that had occured, soon snapped and ran after Olea. He too, didn't want to lose Aaron to the storm. "Everyone stay here!" Bruce called out to his comrades. "Bruce will find the former champion, and Bruce will help save him!"

"Wait!"

Both Olea and Bruce stopped, for only a moment, as the young man caught up with them. "I'm coming with you!" Olea noticed that he still held onto the portfolio in one arm, and he was wearing a determined look on his face. "I still need to give him his portrait."


End file.
